The Phoenix Patronus
by noeru K
Summary: Ever wondered why Albus's patronus was a Phoenix? Read to find out...Dumblewald


**A/N: Yay! Finally, canon!!! And a section for canon as well, oh GOODY! I've been looking for Grindelwald's name to pop up in the character section for AGES. Well, my first Dumblewald fic but I want you guys to enjoy. I love this tragic love-hate thing going on!!**

**Summary: **The love story of Albus and Gellert, many things change throughout time but not love. It can be denied, it can be forgotten and overall outwardly appear different but everything always comes back to that four letter word – love, for better or for the worse.

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**Chapter 1**

_Drowning..._

"Bathilda," Albus opened the door slightly, holding the door as if he was using it as a barrier between the older woman and his home. He was pleasantly surprised but his light blue eyes held a wary glimmer as he continued to stare at her inquisitively.

Bathilda Bagshot was too used to Albus's behaviour to feel rejected; the boy had always been independent and rather distant and more-so since Kendra's death. That was not to say he was rude however because that was blatantly incorrect. It was quite the opposite. Bathilda had never met a boy who had been as consistently polite as Albus. She had been rather happy with this discovery since Kendra had been a rather foreboding woman who had no qualms about being rude when she had made it clear that she needed to tend to her ill daughter.

That in itself had been a while back. Kendra had passed away, quite mysteriously, Bathilda remembered and now her concern was for the boy who had to take care of his younger siblings and whilst he was, had no time for healthy interaction with boys of his own age. Bathilda completely understood Albus's alert and guarded attitude, he had lost both his parents after all but his piercing eyes were too world-wary and knowing to Bathilda's liking. Young boys were supposed to have to a certain degree, a carefree, boyish youth in them but Bathilda had only been able to see this vibrancy when Albus was reading books or refining his wand-work. Bathilda saw this as very saddening and had thought with great joy that Gellert would be able to help Albus with having good times as a boy of seventeen years of age. Gellert, after all was the embodiment of boyish fun and energy. Bathilda never understood why Gellert had been sent from Durmstrang, he had just been up to his usual pranks - that had been all.

"Albus, I wanted you to meet my great nephew. He's come from Bulgaria to stay with me for a while before we decide what to do with him," she gave a nervous chuckle but Albus's eyes remained impassive. "Well," she continued hesitantly, "You'll see him around a lot so," she gently prised the door a little more wider so that Albus would be able to see Gellert and she eagerly watched his still face as his eyes alighted on her great nephew.

As Bathilda had expected, Gellert was the one to speak first. "Hello," he gave a flippant wave to which Albus gave a smile that did not truly reach his eyes. Gellert then gave a pout, his lengthy golden curls giving a little shake as he stuck his bottom lip out, "Name's Albus is it?" he asked but before Albus could really reply, he just continued talking, "well, I'm hungry Al – it's tea time but I haven't had tea yet at Auntie Bath's. Do you have any cookies? Choc-chip are my favourites." then, as if he had made himself perfectly clear, he swung open the door with one powerful sweep of his arm so that it creaked at its hinges and walked straight past Albus, who glanced back at the fast-disappearing back of Gellert who had entered his house without invitation with stunned interest.

His gaze was returned to Bathilda, who was still standing in front of him however, when she called out after him rather scandalised, "Gellert! You can't just -" She seemed to be floundering a little and made some hand motions trying to recall Grindelwald but Albus already heard him opening cupboards in his kitchen. Bathilda was very relieved when a bemused smile dawned on Dumbledore's face.

"It's alright, Bathilda," he said kindly. "Would you like to come in?" Bathilda appeared genuinely pleased if a little flustered. "Well, I would like to Albus, but I have an appointment that I need to keep at the village very soon." Bathilda seemed at lost to what to do. She wrung her hands nervously, "The boy doesn't really seem to want to go with me and now that he wants to have tea, I'll be awfully late -" Bathilda did not finish her sentence but Albus affirmed what she wanted to hear. Bathilda had always known he was a smart boy.

"Oh, Gellert can stay for tea while you go to the village Bathilda. That is perfectly fine."

Bathilda did note that Albus looked slightly tired but Bathilda admitted, rather guiltily that she was positively gleeful when Albus said Gellert could stay whilst she went, for she seriously believed that the boys spending time together without her interference would do Albus some good. Albus was sure to take to Gellert if she let them be by themselves. Gellert was a charming boy, and soon Albus Dumbledore wouldn't be so alone with his siblings at Godric's Hollow. Bathilda therefore thanked Albus whole-heartedly and promised to see them later. When the door closed behind her, Bathilda was very content indeed.

* * *

"Aberforth - " Albus tried to reason but he was hit with a sharp, lashing, "I don't want to talk to you!" and the door slammed in his face. Albus stared at the wooden barrier, sighed then rubbed his temples gently. Then he trudged downstairs and saw Gellert had already conjured up very nice tea with sandwiches, hot tea and biscuits. He was munching happily on choc-chip cookies that he had found in the kitchen cupboards.

To be perfectly honest, Albus was rather taken aback as to how he should approach the other boy who appeared perfectly at home although the living room he was in was rather bare and without life. Overall, his home was rather dismal, Dumbledore conceded. Ariana had broken most of the furniture beyond repair by a standard spell from a wand, due to her out-of-control magic and Albus had been too busy with Hogwarts to replace those particular items. The stone floor was cold and additionally they lived with giant hedges and trees surrounding their house so that there was a natural, lush blockade that further isolated them from the rest of the people living in Godrics Hollow. Bathilda Bagshot was perhaps the only neighbour who still harboured an interest for them. The thick vegetation therefore shielded most of the sun-rays from entering the windows therefore making the house even more colder and dark as well.

"Your brother?" Gellert asked abruptly, a little pink tongue darted out between his lips to lick the crumbs that dotted the small pillows of flesh.

Albus sighed internally as he realised Gellert must have heard. "Yes," he said, rather defeated. He sat down across Gellert and took a sandwich. He took a bite and chewed in silence.

"Not a very friendly person is he?" Gellert asked rather childishly, his eyes oddly observant as they scrutinized Albus's reaction. Albus noticed this and gave a one-shoulder shrug, he leaned back on the worn sofa, "He makes it clear what he likes and what he doesn't," he said ambiguously.

Gellert slowly nodded, "I see," he said, clearly evident that he had lost interest in the topic already. "You go to Hogwarts?" he abruptly asked.

"Yes," although Albus wished that he wouldn't, he realised that his answers were monosyllabic and he could not really embellish on them. Albus recognised that he really did lack social skills since at school, he never really had the need to make any friends. He just had people who eagerly wanted to be his friends, although he had hardly spoken a word to them. He may have even called it hero-worship at one stage although Albus did not see himself as heroic. It just seemed like the appropriate word to describe the kind of attention his peers bestowed on him like Elphias Dodge.

"What house?" Gellert asked keenly, "Slytherin?" his eyes widened in expectation. Dumbledore could have laughed in his face and was about to tell him that he was the Head of Gryffindor house but thought that was being purposefully unkind so therefore said simply, "Gryffindor,"

"Gryffindor?" Gellert made a face, "What's so courageous about you?" his eyes roamed Albus up and down as if to size him up.

"I'm sure I don't know," Albus replied good-naturedly, slightly intrigued with the boy who was so loud and blunt, so different to himself yet held a very intelligent glimmer in his eyes that showed that he was disguising that particular brightness for some reason.

Gellert gave him a curious stare then took a large bite from another cookie. After he had swallowed with relish, he said, "So, you don't believe in wizards being superior to muggles or anything?"

Albus smiled, "I do actually,"

Albus had expected him to exclaim but Gellert just drained his cup. "Why?" he asked rather unpredictably. It was the first time where Albus found he found he had to prove the validity of his opinion to a peer and found the situation rather startling, "Well, people seem to mistake that when people state that wizards are 'superior' than muggles, it is a poor deduction and that it reflects the person's poor character and morals but they are unable to discern that a person's character or principles have nothing to do with deciding this because the statement is not deduced. The mere _fact _that we have the ability to perform magic and have secrets to wandlore has wizards superior to muggles."

Albus had never really talked that much recently and he was surprised as to how the sentence formed in his mouth. It felt very unfamiliar but Gellert was watching him curiously. "You're a strange Gryffindor," he said and Albus felt compelled to tell him more.

He surprised himself when he added, "Personally I wished to be sorted into Slytherin but the Sorting Hat opposed me violently."

"Did it?" Gellert started tugging at a curl, "Why?"

Albus wet his lips so that he could talk more smoothly this time, "Slytherin was for the ambitious and the cunning, perhaps more suited to me than the brave house. Those were my thoughts but the hat grew rather terrified. It warned me about ambition before sorting me into Gryffindor."

Gellert was smiling, "Curious..." he muttered. His grin was so predatory that Albus was entranced by the dangerous glint in his eyes and how his white teeth seemed to snarl between his lips. "And you don't mind being in Gryffindor? You know, being with all those people who worship muggles and muggle-borns."

"Being polite and not openly provoking anyone does the trick," Albus answered smoothly, teasing the golden-haired boy as this did not appear as a possibility for Gellert.

Gellert caught the taunt and narrowed his eyes with a smirk, "Well, aren't you a good boy Al?" he drawled, his voice low and husky.

Albus found his eyes widen a second time in feeling the power in his voice, "So what about you?" he asked equally softly and like a cat retracting his claws, Gellert suddenly smiled and there was no trace of a smirk or a dangerous glimmer in his bright eyes.

"Expelled from Durmstrang," he said rather matter-of-factly and unabashed. Gellert reached for a sandwich now and Albus realised that he appeared to be finishing all the food. Albus had only taken one bite of a sandwich and it had only tasted like dust in his mouth but Gellert was eating with relish. It had been unexpected from a person who was so thin and wiry.

The fact that the boy was expelled from a school though was the real reason that made the shock readable on Albus's face and Gellert openly laughed at him. "It's no biggie Al." He said in a sing-song voice but Albus still stared at him horrified, "What about your career? What about your final year, qualifications, references, extra curricula and - "

Gellert waved a hand dismissively, "So you do all that Al and you what? Get a job in the ministry?"

Albus stopped in mid-exclamation, "I suppose so,"

"And you start from the bottom of the ladder and it will take you _years_ and _years_ to get to the head of your department and more years until you are old and feeble for the top job as the Minister and all for what, so that you would create reform that would take years to be approved and would meet with opposition from pansy lawyers?"

Albus was going to retort but again, Gellert beat him to it and he was fierce, "And that is what you want to do isn't it? Make a difference, change the world in some way, and leave a mark that you had lived. Not to just die and be forgotten like one of billions in the world because you know you've got something special...something no-one else has."

Albus was momentarily stunned and Gellert continued to take advantage of it, "And you know that that something you have is brilliant and you can make lives of the other billions of people for the better, for their own good. That special something – your intelligence would truly be for the greater good in this world and that's what you believe right? Does the ministry give you the chance to unleash that? Do they?" Gellert shook his head emphatically, "Of course not, even now with exams and tournaments and competitions," he ticked each one lazily with a finger, "What are these pointless requirements for you to prove yourself? The thing is, you don't need to _prove _yourself because you know that you are ready and done and you have brilliance. Those are just restrictions placed on you," he made a rude noise, "Hah! Grades...." he chuckled, "Just classifications restricting you and labelling your ability...but what if your ability has no limit," he grinned, "so why work so hard for those labels Al? Why so tied down by homework, school and exams when you _know _you will do well and you don't need them?"

Albus had a fleeting vision of himself being free, free from constantly trying to maintain his reputation as the very best at Hogwarts whilst struggling to keep a family together. He imagined himself, totally unchained from having to sit those many hours in the great hall when truly, he knew that those exams were pointless, he already knew his ability, and he did not need a letter scrawled on his paper to tell him otherwise. How many hours he had spent doing the exams! How much time he had wasted on representing Hogwarts in conferences and tournaments and for whom? Definitely not for himself.

Gellert took his silence into account and grinned again and this time, there was something genuinely warm in his smile and Albus felt like he was being pulled out of water that had been drowning him but he wasn't a complete fool. He gave a wry smile and turned his face away with a wistful gaze in his eyes, "Never-the-less, we are living in a society and some things are mandatory. They need to be followed." He turned his gaze back to Gellert who had finally finished his large tea. "Well, that's where I beg to differ Al," Gellert said, patting his stomach, "I'm going to change that."

Albus saw such freedom and energy in Gellert that he was drawn to at once. He was everything that Albus wanted to be but never could. Gellert did not have a family he was tied down to; he had even cut ties with the school. He was free in all aspects, he did not care about something as superficial as reputation and only believed in achievement that mattered to him, not letting anyone else's expectation shackle him. "That's why I'll create a new order," he declared triumphantly. Albus stared at him with a look of admiration that did not go unnoticed. "And you can help me," Gellert added mischievously.

Albus knew Gellert was being serious but he laughed it off, there was a pause before Albus addressed what had been niggling at the back of his mind since Gellert had announced that he had been expelled. "Why were you expelled?"

"I tried to breed a basilisk," Gellert answered truthfully. Albus bit back a laugh at the disappointed look on his face.

"I almost succeeded!" Gellert retorted as if in self-defence. "I got the egg and was incubating it, if only Krum reported me two days later..."

"Krum?" Albus began but Gellert fired up at once, "Yes, that nosy mountain-troll. He had been scared of me for months after I hexed him then he got his little revenge. Ha! How he wished, he hadn't bailed out on me after I was through with him..."

Albus raised an eyebrow, "What did you do?"

Gellert just fingered his wand fondly, "Oh...nothing, just a harmless curse," but when he saw the expression on Albus's face, he rushed, "It was seriously nothing! If he had any idea what I was capable of...don't worry Al, he's still alive." Gellert laughed and Albus realised it was extremely infectious and he admitted, he had always wondered what it would have been like to have a basilisk, even if just for the sole purpose of communicating with it in parseltongue.

Albus always grew impatient with average snakes, their intelligence was often limited. Suddenly, a strong force erupted in his mind's eye, a very powerful hand that attempted to flip through his memories like a photo album. The sheer power and force that stemmed from Gellert's deep blue eyes would have been able to juice the tiniest detail from an average wizard's mind but Albus was no ordinary wizard. He stared back at Gellert, only half of his energy concentrated in stilling the hand that threatened to look into his past, his most intimate thoughts and moments but after a strong wrestle, as if a huge weight was lifted, there was lightness and the pressure was gone.

Gellert smirked, "Hmmmm Al, you're not going to show me anything?" he said in mock hurt.

"No," Albus replied truthfully.

"But I like you," Gellert said shortly, his face was unreadable and Albus only had to assume he was being genuine.

"No,"

"Please?" Gellert asked weakly.

"No," Albus said finitely although he was smiling.

"Oh, by the way your article in Achievements of Charming is very brief and not that detailed."

"You've read my article?"

"Of course, why else would I have wanted to meet you Albus?"

Albus could not answer.

"May I ask you a question?" Gellert inquired abruptly.

"You just did," Dumbledore pointed out but seeing the expression on Gellert's face, just nodded.

Then there was a loud bang upstairs and a horrible, heart-wrenching wailing. Albus jumped to his feet at once, thinking furiously of Ariana and made for the staircase at once but Gellert put out an arm to stop him. "Don't go up right now, the magic is crazy upstairs."

"But Aberforth - "

"It's okay, she won't kill him, but she will kill you if you get in the way."

Albus knew the truth of the statement but it still hurt. Aberforth had been her favourite brother, he could spend more time with her, care for her and show her how much he loved her but Albus was sure he loved Ariana just as much. Or...did he?

Suddenly, Albus became terribly confused. He sunk back into his seat, his eyes downcast and his mind whirring very quickly. He had dealt with both his siblings' mounting rejection of him as head of the family with tranquillity and calm but now the more he thought about it, he started to realise that it was unfair on him as well. Didn't they see that he was trying to do his best? But they always pushed him away, making him the odd one, the two always banding together to always be unhappy with the decision he made. What was he expected to do? No, he knew what was expected of him...but it was unfair, he didn't want to do it...he had a life as well...

There was a warm touch on his shoulder and Albus quickly looked up to see Gellert's bright eyes and an outstretched hand, "Do we have a deal?"

"For the greater good?" Albus asked hoarsely. He had made up his mind.

"Yes," Gellert nodded. What he had meant was lost forever with unspoken words.

* * *

**Let me know if I should continue this! Gellert's cookies if you do!**

**Happy reading as always - **

**noeru K**


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